Ain’t it good to be home? The New York Knicks (19\*-7) have endured a demanding stretch this week, with a trip to Vegas—including a hard-fought game with the Magic and Tuesday’s equally challenging NBA Cup win—plus a quick jaunt to Indiana for yesterday’s last-second win. Less than 24 hours later, the Knicks return to Madison Square Garden tonight to face the Philadelphia 76ers (14-11).
When they last met on April Fool’s Day, 2025, the Knicks beat the Sixers 105–91 in the Big Apple. Both teams were severely shorthanded. New York controlled the matchup almost wire to wire, with OG Anunoby scoring 27 points to carry the offense. Landry Shamet added 20 points and six treys, and Mitchell Robinson celebrated his birthday with a 14-14 double-double (of course April Fool’s Day would be his birthday). For the losing team, Quentin Grimes posted 26 points.
New York sits second in the East and have won seven straight (counting the Cup Final). Coach Mike Brown rested Karl-Anthony Towns, Robinson, and Josh Hart last night, giving them extra time to recover from their various ailments and, we hope, get ready for tonight’s contest. On the injury report, Mitch, Josh, Karl, and Miles McBride are all listed as _game-time decision_.
The Fighting Cheesesteaks should be well rested after four days off. They will be without Kelly “Sideshow Bob” Oubre, Jr., and Trendon Watford. Joel Embiid (illness) and Hunter Sallis (shoulder) are _game-time decisions_. The starters for their last game, a three-point loss to the Hawks on Sunday, were Grimes, rookie VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow, Paul George, and Embiid.
Embiid is averaging 20.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 11 games this season. His minutes per is down to 26.2. That’s the fewest minutes the $55 million dollar man has played per game since 2016-17, his first year of NBA play. His shooting percentages are at career-lows (42% FG, 27% 3PT), as are his rebounds per game (6.6) and points (20.5). He’s still a big side of beef to deal with in the paint, but this is not the MVP-award winning version of the Cameroonian.
On the other hand, Tyrese Maxey is having a splendid season. In his sixth season, the Kentucky alum is averaging a team-high 31.5 points, 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 39% from deep. An illness kept Maxey out of the last two games, but he should be healthy tonight. Also performing well is the rook, Edgecombe, with 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and four assists. The 6’4” guard, drafted third this summer, is shooting 42% from the floor and 49% from deep, attempting about five longballs per game.
OAKAAKUYOAK Grimes is scoring 16.2 points per game and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 37% from deep. George has surprised us with his shooting this season. He’s recorded a career-high percentage from deep (43%) and is averaging seven made 3-pointers. Playing just 10 games this, season Paul George has averaged 17.1 points five rebounds in 26 minutes per game.
Nick Nurse’s club grabs a bunch of rebounds (sixth in the league), but also surrenders a bunch. They rank second for blocks, get to the line a fair amount (Maxey’s at the charity stripe about seven times per game), and shoot 36% from deep. Offensively and defensively, their ratings rank middle of the pack (15th and 14th, respectively).
ESPN.com likes the Knicks at 63%. Groovy. As always, the Knicks will lean on Brunson to organize the offense. Philadelphia’s perimeter attack will try to push the tempo, and Maxey and George will look to exploit any tired legs. Those two will combine for about 15 three-point attempts. Let’s hope that OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have some gas left in the tank after a punishing week.
With two stellar showings this week, Tyler Kolek has put the league on notice. We’d like to see him continue to get playing time once Deuce returns, and we’ll be watching closely how Coach Brown distributes the minutes. With their full complement of players, the Knicks outclass the Pennsylvanians; with KAT, Josh, and Mitch returning tonight, that 14th home win is a lock. After a few hard-fought quarters, the Knicks win this by six.
Teams: New York Knicks (19\*-7) vs Philadelphia 76ers (14-11)Date: Friday, December 19, 2025Time: 7:00 PM ETLocation: Madison Square Garden, NYCTV: MSG, Amazon Prime Video
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